Association of Latino/as/x Motivating Action Presents in partnership with Out at CHM, Chicago History Museum and SoapBox Productions & Organizing the first-ever Latinx LGBTQ+ Chicago COVID-19 impact documentary.
(We’re Still Here: Orgullo, Pandemia, & Perserverancia)
Directed by Emmanuel Garcia & David A. Moran
Produced by David A. Moran
Executive Produced by David Gauna & Caullen Hudson
Run Time: 34 minutes, Not Rated, Documentary
Logline: Four LGBTQ+ identifying Latinx Chicagoans navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, interpersonal struggles, and community triumphs throughout a turbulent yet powerful 2020.
AWARDS
FEATURED IN
Synopsis
On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. In response, Chicago, the third-largest city in the U.S., went on a government-mandated lockdown in March 2020. As the virus spread globally, the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Tony McDade at the hands of police sparked global protests sparking international uprisings against state-sponsored violence and for racial justice. The unknown outcome of the presidential election loomed over the U.S., creating more anxiety and fear as many Americans tried to make sense of the world and the places they called home.
Amid a pandemic, what happens when the systems fail to serve communities that are invisibilized? People who lived through and survived the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the ’80s and ’90s know the devastating effects of government inefficiency and misinformation. Marginalized undocumented people found alternatives ways to not only survive but thrive. As a result of the obstacles trans and queer people have historically faced, they have created mutual aid networks and chosen families of support. Seguimos Aquí: Pride, Pandemic, and Perseverance tells the story of LaSaia, Reyna, Luis, and Nissa, four Latinx LGBTQ leaders from different backgrounds who use the power of self-determination, love, and community to not only survive but help their communities become visible.
Featuring
Reyna Ortiz
She/her
Trans Resource Navigator at Task Force Chicago and the author of T: Stands for Truth: In Search of the Queen Vol. 1.
LaSaia Wade
Founder and former Executive Director of Brave Space Alliance.
Luis Lira
he/him
Community Health Advocate for Esperanza Health Centers.
Reyna Ortiz
She/her
Entertainer and Artists.
About the Production Company & Collaborating Organizations
Chicago History Museum
Chicago History Museum, a major museum and research center for Chicago and American history, is located at 1601 N. Clark Street. The Museum has dedicated more than a century to celebrating and sharing Chicago’s stories through dynamic exhibitions, tours, publications, special events and programming. The Museum collects and preserves millions of artifacts, documents and images to help audiences connect to the city and its history. The Chicago History Museum gratefully acknowledges the support of the Chicago Park District on behalf of the people of Chicago. The Chicago History Museum is a 2016 winner of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the highest award given to these institutions for their community engagement and having an impact on the lives of individuals, families, and communities.
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SoapBox Productions and Organizing
SoapBox Productions and Organizing is a film and social activism nonprofit specializing in multimedia storytelling for structural social change. They pair art and media with grassroots organizing efforts by developing, documenting, and promoting racial, economic, and social justice initiatives with community collaborators. Soapbox’s mission is to utilize media to power and sustain social movements for a more equitable and creative world. They produce fiction films, documentaries, podcasts, written articles, and community-based programming centered around education, entertainment, and action. SoapBox fosters a radical imagination in creative context to deliver emotional impact storytelling with a liberatory, anti-oppressive framework. Their integrated multimedia format encourages broader access that caters to diverse audiences within the digital space and beyond.
